Osmania University flouts UGC rules, hires excess contract teachers: CAG

Osmania University violated UGC norms by appointing excess contract assistant professors during 2017-22, a CAG report said. The university exceeded prescribed limits and failed to clarify whether irregular appointments were identified or corrective steps were taken.

Hyderabad: Osmania University has made excess contract assistant professor appointments, which was against the University Grants Commission norms, according to an audit report released by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

As per the UGC regulations, contract teachers should be appointed only when the student-teacher ratio does not satisfy the laid-down norms, and such appointments should not exceed 10 percent of the total faculty positions in the university. Further, the regulations state that regular and contract staff together should not exceed the posts sanctioned.

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The university, which had a total sanctioned teaching strength of 1,267 during the audit period 2017-22, was entitled to appoint contract staff to the extent of 127 (10 percent). However, the OU hired contract assistant professors beyond 10 percent of the total sanctioned teaching positions and in excess of sanctioned assistant professor posts.

A total of 892, including 430 contract teachers, were on the rolls, as against the sanctioned strength of 601 assistant professors in 2017-18, with 291 contract teachers in excess. Similarly, excess appointments on contract basis were reported at 265 in 2018-19, 232 in 2019-20, 203 in 2020-21 and 160 in 2021-22.

“Even considering the appointment of contract staff in the cadre of assistant professor to the extent of the sanctioned strength of 601, the excess appointments in the cadre of assistant professor ranged from 160 (2021-22) to 291 (2017-18),” it said.

When the CAG sought a reply as to whether the excess teaching faculty recruited without taking government approval had been identified and steps taken to cancel the irregular or illegal appointments made, the OU did not furnish the information.